Challenge: Help change the world by joining the Girls Can’t WHAT? Lending Team!

Did you know that women do 66% of the worlds work, yet they only earn 10% of the world’s income and own only 1% of the world’s land? Can we improve those statistics? Absolutely! And you can help.

I have a great challenge for us all!  This announcement really has me in a good mood.  I am so excited to offer this and I’m kind of kicking myself for not doing it sooner.  I’ve had several people ask about the KIVA program and how they too could get involved.  I’ve always pointed them to KIVA to sign up individually, which is the first step, but now we have our own KIVA team!

What is this KIVA you speak of?

Each month Girls Can’t WHAT? gives 20% of its profit to KIVA.org to help women all over the globe reach their dreams.  KIVA is a micro-lending program which means whatever we give is repaid back to Girls Can’t What? and is then reinvested into new entrepreneurs each month.  As our sales increase, we invest in even more women and when those loans are repaid, the cycle continues.  It’s win-win for everyone!  There’s a lot more to it than that, so here’s a short video to explain how KIVA works and who they help:

Our small investments from Girls Can’t WHAT? sales over the last few months have grown quickly and to date we have helped 29 women business owners expand their product lines, buy equipment and supplies, rent larger facilities and more. And with the revenue from our recent holiday sales, we will soon be assisting 16 more ladies in reaching their dreams.

How can I help?

Micro-lending is easy and it’s fun and it helps people.  Who can argue with that?  Working with KIVA is a breeze.  Follow these easy steps to begin building your own micro-lending portfolio today:

1. Sign up for a KIVA account and fill out your profile
2. Click here to join the Girls Can’t WHAT? Team
3. Visit kiva.org and loan $25 to any person(s) on the list
4. As you place your order, be sure to select the Girls Can’t WHAT? team during the payment process.
5. Watch your portfolio and feel free to reinvest the money as it is repaid to you or you can withdraw it.

Once you’ve made your loan, you can check in on it at any time to see when it has been fully funded and monitor the repayment progress.  You can invest in as many people as you like at any given time and KIVA will email you updates on the status of the loan and the individuals you are investing in.  It’s a fabulous way to reach out to others and help them help themselves.

I have spread a few loans out over the past year so now I always have money flowing back in every month to reinvest.  And as Girls Can’t WHAT? grows I am able to add more funds and help more people each time.

Why women only?

You are not limited to investing in only women.  Girls Can’t WHAT? chooses to invest in women because they are often the minority on KIVA and they typically need the most assistance.  They are also more likely to be listed as single moms raising kids or supporting other family members so we feel they need the most financial help.

I can’t wait to see what we can collectively give by the end of 2011 and how many lives will be affected by women helping other women.  Please join me in helping others reach their dreams!